The Aberdeen Town Council heard a presentation on the town’s new bicycle and pedestrian plan from Todd McAulliffe, the consultant working on the plan. This is an update to the 2011 pedestrian plan and the 2012 bicycle plan.
The original purpose of the plan was to evaluate existing bicycle and pedestrian conditions and to recommend programming and infrastructure projects to improve safety, connectivity, and well-being. The NCDOT funded the plan with matching funds provided by Aberdeen.
The vision is to make Aberdeen a place where people of all ages and backgrounds will have access to bicycle and pedestrian facilities. The revised plan has identified several high-priority projects including:
*Saunders Boulevard Shared Use Path. This will be an 8-foot-wide shared used path running adjacent to Saunders Boulevard. It will include additional crossing facilities to allow cyclists and pedestrians to safely cross Saunders Blvd. The projected cost is $5.64 million.
*Elm Street Sidewalk Extensions. This will extend the sidewalks on Elm Street from Thomas Avenue to the existing pedestrian underpass on U.S. 1. It will also continue sidewalks on Elm Street from Poplar Street to Sycamore Street. The projected cost is $510,000.
*Pee Dee Road Sidewalks. This will construct sidewalks on one side of the road from U.S. 15/501 to N.C. 211. The projected cost is $600,000.
*Aberdeen Creek Trails and Connection. This is a new trail from the existing Aberdeen Lake trail northward to Southern Middle School. The total projected cost is $4.6 million.
*Pinehurst Street Paved Shoulders. This is for 4-foot paved shoulders on both sides of Pinehurst Street and shares the road signage. Pinehurst Street is part of Moore County’s designated bicycle route called “Tour de Moore.” The projected cost is $745,000.
About a dozen bicycle routes are proposed, along with some shared path use recommendations. In addition to these projects, there are 13 different sidewalk recommendations throughout the area.
Aberdeen Mayor Robert Farrell commented, “Aberdeen is part of a Tri-City group that works with Southern Pines and Pinehurst, and the hope is one day to be able to walk from Aberdeen to Southern Pines and Pinehurst.”
The next step in the process is for the town to approve the plan, which could happen in November.
In other business, Town Manager Paul Sabiston presented an update on the Aberdeen Public Library project.
The Wholesale Store building on Exchange Street will be used as a larger library than the current one on Poplar Street.
There have been a couple of meetings with the library group. Some of the renovations are already in process, including removing some walls.
They are also moving along with renovating the windows. A professor has volunteered the services of a master’s level student who is an architect studying for a master’s degree in library science. She can provide input on design and library layout.
The library group meets monthly with occasional follow-up meetings. The next big structural issue they are looking at is shoring up the basement and ensuring it stays relatively dry. They are also going to have the roof evaluated for structural integrity.
The council also heard a report on the new sportsplex. The lights are up, and work commences on field six (the last field). The roads surrounding the sportsplex will get gravel, bringing phase one to a close.
The next council meeting is the work session on Nov. 14 at 6 p.m.
File photo: Citizens offer input at a public hearing on Aberdeen’s new Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan on Oct. 6, 2021.
~Article and photo by Sandhills Sentinel Reporter Chris Prentice. Contact him at [email protected].
